Folding table.



E. T. BURROWES.

FOLDING TABLE. APPLHIATION FILED SEPT.24. 1914.

Patented July 31, 1917.

a i J /3 a r w VIM/Z Z [H j 4 4 q A a a x L e C a L 7 i J 47 6 f a v c Lrw [My u K W R. /l y 5% space the le EDWARD T. BUZRBOWES, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

FOLDING TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31', 1917.

Original application filed November 26, 1913, Serial No. 803,129. Divided and this application filed September 24, 19%. Serial No. 863,317.

locking the table legs in-their extended positions in such manner that the legs may be released and folded by striking or pressing against the same with one hand, without the necessity of first unlocking the braces by separate manual operations; and another purpose of the invention is to prov de 1111- proved means for pivotally connecting the legs to the table frame and for securing them in their folded positions.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, v m

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a folding table embodying my improvements;

Fig. 1 is a detail View illustrating one of the leg brackets;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the table parallel with one of the sides of the frame, showing one of the legs extended, the bracket to which it is hinged, the brace, and the preferred form of locking means for the brace;

Fig. 3 is an inner side view of a portion of a side bar of the table frame, illustrating a modified form of locking means for the brace; and,

Fig.4 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing another modification of the brace locking means.

Referring to' Figs. 1, l, and2, of the drawing, A. indicates the table, as a whole, comprising the top a, a rectangular supporting frame 1;, legs 0, and brackets d, in which the legs are pivoted.

The four legs 0 of the table, when folded,

lie parallel with and adjacent to the sides of the frame. For connecting the legs with the table, I have provided a novel form of bracket d. Each bracket is formed so as to attached to it a suitable distance from t e side of the frame with which the leg lies parallel when folded, so as to permit room for the operation of the brace 1, and the bracket is also provided with a part which locks the end OI another leg when folded. The several brackets are alike in construction. As shown, each comprises a strip of metal bent or otherwise formed at its center into a U-form or yoke, as indicated at 2, and the leg 0 is pivoted within the yoke by a pivot pin 3 having a head at one end and a perforation at the opposite end, through which a cotter pin 3 may be inserted. The central portion 2 of the yoke 2 is secured by suitable fastening means to one side bar of the table frame, and one arm of the yoke is oif-set, as indicated at 2", and secured to the' adjacent side bar of the frame, this offset portion of the arm spacing the yoke and the leg a fixed distance from the latter bar. The opposite arm I of the yoke has anover-turned end 2, which is provided with. a small perforation or depression 2 adapted to receive the rounded head of a pin or projection 4, which is secured to the inner side of another table leg near the bottom thereof, the arrangement being such that when this latter table leg is folded, the pin will enter the perforation mentioned and the leg will be latched in the folded position. Thus, each bracket d serves to pivotally support one of the legs in its proper position and has a means for latching another leg, arranged at right angles thereto when the latter is folded.

The preferred form of fastening device for the leg braces 1 is shown in Fig. 2.. Each leg brace is pivotedrat one end to a table leg, as shown at 1, and its free end is overturned and provided with a roller 1. In Fig. 2, the side bar I) of the frame is shown as having a slot 5, the walls of which are parallel in that portioh of the slot in which the brace end rides after being unlocked, while one wall is cut away to enlarge the slot at the locking end, as indicated at 5".- Within this enlarged portion is arranged a spring 6, of undulatin form, which lies adjacent the cut-out portion 5 of the slot wall. The end of the spring is finely corrugated or crinkled, as shown at 6 so that when driven edgewise into a narrow groove 7, at the end of the slot, it will-be securely held by the walls of the groove, as shown. This spring, it will be. seen, inclines from the lower wall of the slot toward the upper wall, and one of the depressions in the spring, as at 6, receives the roller 1 on the free end of the brace, when the table leg is extended, and the end of the brace thereby becomes yieldingly locked or held between the upper wall of the slot and the depressed part of the spring. A suficient inward pressure against the table leg, however, will cause the free end of the brace to flatten out the corrugations in the spring and travel inward in the slot until the leg is folded.

Another form of resilient locking device for locking the brace when the legs are extended is shown in Fig. 8. In this view, 6 represents one of the side bars of the table frame having a'slot 8, the sides of which may be parallel, but cut out as indicated at 8 to permit a spring clip 9 to be inserted within the slot. As shown, this clip coinprises a strip of spring metal doubled upon itself, forming a resilient loop 9 at the center, and adjacent to the loop, the two arms 9 are bowed outwardly in opposite directions, as indicated at 9, to form a socket for receiving the roller 1 on the brace l. From the bowed portions the arms 9 diverge, and these arms are provided with suitable teeth 9 which are driven into the side walls of the slots and secure the clips in position. The arms of the clip constitute continuations of the slot walls which converge toward the socket. it will be evident that the movement of the table leg to its extended position will cause the roller on the brace to ride into the socket 9, where it will be. locked, and that by exerting sufiicient pressure'on the leg, in the opposite direction, the roller may be forced out of the socket and the leg folded. This makes a very simple and efiective form of fastening de-. vice, easily applied, within a straight groove in the table frame.

Fig. 4. shows another form of locking means. As shown in this view, the side bars 6 of the frame are cut away on their inner sides as indicated at 10, and arranged upon this cut-away portion of each bar is a resilient strip 11, which may be of any Suitable material, but preferably of wood. This bar has one end connected by ascrew,

or other suitable fastening device 12 to the sidebar of the frame, adjacent to the shoulder or wall 18 above the cutaway portion, and at a considerable distance from the fastening device 12, the resilient bar is secured by another device 14: to the side bar of the frame near its lower edge. The resilient bar or rod 11 thus forms, with the shoulder 13, a tapering slot 15. The resilient rod 11 has a notch 16 near the smaller end of the slot. it will be evident that when the leg is extended, the roller on the over-turned end of the brace will ride on the resilient bar into the narrower portion of the slot. and will become loclred'by the resilient bar when ncense the roller drops into the notch 16. The notch, however, is of such shape, that by exerting pressure upon the leg of the table, the roller may be forced out of the notch and into the wider portion of the slot,-

where it rides freely until the leg is in horizontal position, when the pin on the end of the leg will engage the opening 2 on the bracket which supports a leg at the other side of the table. Thus, it is unnecessary to, take hold of the brace in order to move the leg from either of its locked positions to the other. Both walls of the slot may be made and assembled as a separate attachmerit, and secured to the frame, instead of cutting out the frame to form one wall and setting the resilient member, which constitutes the other wall, in the cut-away portion.

What I claim is:

l. in a folding table, a top, an angular frame provided with longitudinal guide slots on its side bars, legs pivoted to swing in planes parallel with the side bars and braces pivoted to the legs and having their free ends engaging the slots in all positions of the legs, each slot having a shallow recess in the vertical plane of the slot for receiving, without interlocking with, the free end of a brace when the leg is extended, and having a resilient part for yieldingly holding said free end in the recess.

2. in a folding table, a top, an angular frame provided with longitudinal guide slots on its.side bars, legs pivoted to swingin planes parallel with the side bars and braces pivoted to the. legs and having their free ends engaging the slots in all positions of the legs, each slot having converging walls and having a shallow recess in one of said walls for receiving, without interlocking with, the free end of a brace when the legis extended, one of said walls being resilient adjadent the recess.

3. :[n a folding table, a top, an angular frame provided with longitudinal guide slots on its side bars, legs pivoted to swing in planes parallel with the side bars, braces pivoted to the legs and having their free ends engaging the slots inall positions of the legs, and a spring secured at one end ofeach slot and extending longitudinally therein, said spring having a bend, forming EDWARD BURRQWES. Witnesses:

Vienna S. Dow, Vinnie C. Hair. 

